Senkha 's imprint has been searching for a day now, never flagging or faltering or tiring, searching for any signs of Dizzy. Where she walks, Dizzy would hear the rustle of feathers, though Ariadine would hear a sound like knives scraping against each other.
Ariadine is still climbing out of the darkest recesses of her mind. The girl and the huge bear have been wandering for days. As the pair ascends through the darkness the sound of rustling wings grows louder. The starved looking bear growls suspiciously.
Senkha looks up at the sound of growling. "--Dizzy?"
Ariadine perks at the familiar voice, "Momma?" her voice is hoarse from lack of use. The girl's grip on the bear's fur tightens. Is it another memory replaying? Or is it real?
Ariadine 's voice gains a hysterical tinge, "Momma?!" She sounds so real. Matka remains silent, and lets out a tired and rattled sigh. "Momma?!" She jumps off of the bear's shoulders.
Senkha continues running until she can see Dizzy, wings rustling uselessly behind her. Why isn't she flying? Who knows? She rushes at Dizzy, arms open. "Baby, Monkey, it's me, I'm here now. Everything's going to be alright. It's okay, baby, I'm here."
Ariadine buries her face into her mother's chest and wraps her arms around her as tightly as possible, and finally after a month the girl bursts into tears.
Senkha presses her lips against Dizzy's head again and again, holding her tightly and letting her cry. As she does this, strength flows from her into the Guardian and Dizzy as well. "I'm here. We're going home, baby. You're going home."
Ariadine 's shuddering slows as the reassuring strength returns to her. Slowly, she looks up at her mother. "'m tryin' real hard t'be strong like I promised. I promise."
Senkha smiles down at Dizzy, brushing her hair back from her face and wiping away the last stray tears. "You've done perfectly. I'm so proud of you, Dizzy. You hung on, even though you must've been very afraid. I'm so sorry I couldn't come sooner."
Ariadine looks up at her hopefully, "You can get me out of here? We can leave? I wanna get out so bad." Matka grunts crossly at this, "It's never that simple." she growls.
Senkha sighs quietly and shakes her head. "It's not that simple, no. Dizzy, before you were born, your birth mother did horrible things to you. She made your mind--and soul--split in two. We need to find a way to put you back together again."
Ariadine looks back to the bear and then up to Senkha again. She looks crestfallen, "Is it real easy? Please- I can't be in here any longer. I can't. 's dark an' quiet an' please jus' don't make me stay any longer."
Senkha smiles at Dizzy, another wave of strength coursing through her. "We'll find a way to make it easier, your Guardian and I." She turns from Dizzy for a moment and bows deeply and respectfully to the great bear.
The bear grunts again, "At least this one knows what she is dealing with." Her dark red eyes flicker dully, "Perhaps you could be of use. I don't think I can do much since the other girl nearly killed me." She roars the last part furiously.
Matka breaks down into coughing hoarsely, her bony shoulders poke from her hide as she hunches over.
Senkha lets go of Dizzy for a moment and walks over to the great bear; only then can her size be really seen, and she's enormous. She kneels and places a hand on the creature's head, wrapping it in her wings. "I think I can help, if you will let me."
Matka looks up at Senkha dejectedly. "Do I have reason to hope? My own host has reduced me to a pathetic mess. I'm dying. All I want to do is fix this before I fade away." The bear's gaze flickers to Dizzy, "She doesn't deserve any of this."
Senkha rests her head against Matka's, strength flowing from her into the Guardian. "I will help you, and when we have succeeded, I will merge with you as Dizzy will merge with Ariadine. I will not let you fade away, not when you have kept my daughter safe."
Matka blinks slowly, she definitely isn't a normal guardian. The bear speaks of the girl in a more motherly tone than with any spite. "... Thank you." Dizzy watches the pair silently. Whether she could hear them or not is a mystery.
Senkha 's touch on the creature's brow is gentle, but firm. "Of course." She turns back to Dizzy with a smile. "Are you ready, Monkey?"
Ariadine perks, "Yes!" She scrambles over to the pair. She jumps around the two, "I'm ready! I'm ready! Ready!"
Senkha smiles and takes Dizzy's hand; the other hand remains on Matka's forehead, steadyingly, strength and energy still flowing into the creature. "Then let's go. It's your Daddy's birthday today, you know. What a great present this will be."
Ariadine grins, "'s a lot of cupcakes an' candles on 'em. He must be a hundred years old now."
Senkha grins and ruffles Dizzy's hair. "Not -quite- that many, but close enough. Your granddad's here, too...just wait 'till you meet him."
Ariadine smiles, "I can't wait!" She looks up at Matka, who just grunts crossly and begins to channel energy with Senkha.
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